The cream of Australian business and politics descended on private suites scattered around the stands before Australia won the toss and sent Sri Lanka in to bat.

At Cricket Australia’s suite in the Arthur Morris Room, Morris himself held court with another legend – corporate raider Sir Ron Brierley.

SCG Trust director and former News Limited chairman John Hartigan chatted with his former rugby league lieutenant turned soccer boss David Gallop while former PM John Howard was sharing a laugh with SCG chairman Rodney Cavalier. NSW Treasurer Mike Baird found a sunny corner with ABC managing director Mark Scott as did chairman of selectors John Inverarity and cricket great Steve Waugh.

Business Council president and SCG trustee Tony Shepherd was on the deck watching play (before departing for his Colorado vacation on Friday) alongside Cardinal George Pell, former QBE chairman John Cloney and NSW premiers past and present, Barry O’Farrell and Nick Greiner.

Next door in the Steve Waugh room, Cricket NSW had its own plethora of heavy-hitters hosted by chairman Dr Harry Harinath. NSW Attorney General Greg Smith was there with Roads Minister Duncan Gay and Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian. Sydney Business Chamber chief Patricia Forsythe was there too, along with Emirates’ Australian supremo Barry Brown and Cricket NSW CEO Dave Gilbert who drolly told us (after a week of infighting with player Brett Lee) that he had the reins of the organisation “for now." Cricket Australia’s broadcast rights adviser, John Knox of Credit Suisse, was paying close attention to proceedings on the field.